Uwatec SmartPro Review...reviewed...

[Aviatrr]

Can you remember if it was just a beep or was there something flashed on the display?
Was the MB level reduced to 0 by that time, because you had ignored the levelstops?

Actually, I followed the Level Stops.....sort of.. The computer showed level stops as deep as 40', but I started my deco stops at 60'. The 40' Level Stop cleared by the time I got to my 40' deco stop. When I headed up to 30', I showed a 2 min level stop, but did a 5 min deco stop. I did the rest of my deco at 20' until the deco and level stops cleared, which was about 15 mins longer than tables required. My Nitek 3 had been clean for the last 22-23 mins of deco, but it takes into account the fact that I was doing my deco on 80%.

On another dive, I violated one of the level stops on M2(by about a minute), so it cleared the M2 stops and reverted to M1. I followed the rest of them, so it stayed on M1.

If I remember correctly, when I got to the 2 min NDL remaining warning it beeped and the level stop time flashed. Normally, the NDL remaining will flash when you get the 2 min warning. I didn't pay a whole lot of attention to it since I didn't care that I only had 2 mins of NDL time left since it was a planned deco dive. I'll try to remember to try it again when I dive next weekend(Jul 5-7).

Mike

 

[ScubaCRNA]

I don't mean to sound casual as I totally agree that rec diving should not go beyond safe depths and follow protocol. It just seems to me that the Smart Com, in a MB supression mode, by definition is a conservative dive. Perhaps I am not understanding your concern but I plan to contact ScubaPro Uwatec techs and inquire more about the lack of deco display. Seems that if one goes beyond the time limits for MB supression and then the computer reverts to the next level, ie: set for MB 1 and then reverts to a MB 0 dive then the diver that exceeds those limits enter the Deco mode automatically. Perhaps I am faulty in my understanding.

 

[Aviatrr]

Seems that if one goes beyond the time limits for MB supression and then the computer reverts to the next level, ie: set for MB 1 and then reverts to a MB 0 dive then the diver that exceeds those limits enter the Deco mode automatically.

I think you are misunderstanding how the MB suppression works. It will not revert to a less conservative MB level because you stay down too long.....it will, however, revert to a less conservative MB level if you ignore the "Level Stop" info it gives you and ascend above the ceiling it is giving you. For instance: if it shows a Level Stop at 30ft for 2 minutes, on MB level 2, and you ascend immediately to 20ft, it will revert to a less conservative MB level(it will revert to level 1 if the ceiling is 20ft or shallower for that level, if not it will revert to level 0 which means that any stops showed are required deco stops).

Mike

 

[DuckDive]

Thanks for clearing that up Aviatrr! The manual really doesn't help much in this regard. I'll have to check again but I don't remember the mention of levelstops being ceilings. Seems I wasn't alone in not understanding how you could go into deco while still being on an MB level.

If you do get a chance to check up on the '2-mins-to-no-stop-warning' this weekend, I would like to hear about it. Thanks.

ScubaCRNA:
Now we're on the same page .
Will you be diving your SmartCom again soon?

Mark.

 

[ScubaCRNA]

Maybe I just can't get my thoughts across clearly but I called Uwatec and spoke with one of their techs. He echoed my understanding in that if you are diving with the MB level set at zero then the computer is running on the base algorithm that all computers and dive tables run on. If you want to have a more conservative dive because you are multi-diving or you have a hangover from the night before then you set the MB level to 1,2,3,4,or 5 for more and more conservatism. If you blow off the time limits, ie: the level stops at depth and time, the computer does, indeed, revert to the next lower MB level. If you are way messed up and enter a deco dive then the computer signals a deco stop, a manditory stop, regardless of the MB level chosen. If you blow off the deco stop signals then you have 3 minutes to get back down to depth and make the stop before the computer shuts down for 24 hours. There would be no point of setting the computer to a more conservative dive to be on the safe side then blowing it off. If that is the case maybe another activity is in order. I don't mean "you" personally, rather collectively. :boom:

 

[Aviatrr]

Duckdive,

I'll have to check again but I don't remember the mention of levelstops being ceilings.

You're right - level stops are not "ceilings" as in the traditional meaning(deco stop). I guess I should have specified that it was a "ceiling" for the specific MB level you are on - even though it is strictrly advisory.




ScubaCRNA,

There would be no point of setting the computer to a more conservative dive to be on the safe side then blowing it off. If that is the case maybe another activity is in order. I don't mean "you" personally, rather collectively.

The only reason that I violated the Level Stop info was to see what the computer would do, and because it showed an excessively long ascent time. My Nitek 3, which takes into account my gas switches, was showing only a 10' stop(for 2 more mins) when I violated the 30' Level Stop the SmartPro was giving me. I normally dive with it on the M0 setting, and follow what it tells me. I use the most conservative of the computer or tables.

Mike

 

[DuckDive]

Think I'll just buy me a Vyper and avoid all of this confusion . Kidding, I'm a fan of Uwatec, which is why I'm trying hard to understand this.

The diagram in the manual (p22) clearly shows a diver, still on L5, but with a deco obligation. To me, that seems to coincide with what Mike was saying about it not bumping him down a level, as long as he didn't exceed levelstop ceilings. Or is the diagram wrong?

Isn't "blowing off" levelstops the idea (up to a point)? How else does one get to do deep-stops, for a more conservative profile without sacrificing a lot of bottom-time? Isn't that the selling point of this computer? If you obey the first indicated levelstop you'll never benefit from any of the brochurespeak: Experiments with deeper stops at the conclusion of a repetitive dive were proven to reduce microbubbles by up to 61% and in some cases eliminated microbubble formation. What am I missing?

Btw Mark, re-reading my previous post: I hope you don't think I was being sarcastic when I asked if you were diving the computer again soon. What I meant was "so that you can experiment some more and possibly shed more light on this".

 

[ScubaCRNA]

It seems to me that the difference between the Smart Com and other computers (I only have a limited experience with it and no experience with the others other than what I have researched while deciding on what to buy) is that the Smart Com tries to manage the microbubbles that accumulate. I don't think other computers take microbubbles into consideration in their computations or algorithms. So comparing the Nitek3 with the Smart in MB mode may be the reason you had such differences in stop times or ascent times. Wouldn't that make sense? BTW, no sarcasm taken in your comments. This is a great discussion site and I appreciate all the input. I probably know the least of all of you and have much to learn. I did spend a lot of time reading about other computers before I chose the Smart Com. I figure it will be well within my needs for the receational type of diving I like to do.

 

[seaangel]

I just turned my new Smart Com (I accidentally posted earlier it was Smart Pro, my bad) back in to my LDS. Just as we were leaving for WPB where I was going to use it for the first time as my back up for computer and air gauge the shop got a call from
Uwatec to let them know it has been recalled. Evidently, the faces of the air gauges are warped and are causing them to read inaccurately on their face. I was allowed to carry it and dive, but I was forbid from using it for monitoring my air. For that I had to rely on my primary set up. I don't know how long it will take to get this worked out and when I will have it back. I leave for Cozumel next Thursday and sure hope I have an answer before then.

 

[ScubaCRNA]

I hope it is just a certain lot number of Smart Coms. I have two and they seem to read fine. Guess I'll call my LDS and Scubapro tomorrow.